Using a Head Collar on Your Dog When Dog Collar Training
Author: James Mahoney
Copyright (c) 2010 James Mahoney
The head collars used in dog collar training have become an increasingly popular dog training tool in the past couple of years. Two of the most well known brands of head collar on the market are the Gentle Leader and the Halti, but there are many other brands that incorporate the basic concept.
Those head collars considered to be the most successful consist of two woven fabric loops, one loop should fit snugly around the dog's neck just behind his ears. At the same time the other loop loops around the muzzle loosely enough so that the dog will still be able to eat, drink, bark, and even bite.
There are two brands prominently on the market, they are Halti and the Gentle Leader. There are other brands that also employ the basic head collar idea.
The Gentle Leader head collar is designed to remove the tendency of the dog to pull by placing gentle pressure on calming points and preventing any uncomfortable pressure on the dog's throat. The Gentle Leader is also useful in dog collar training because it discourages lunging, jumping, excessive barking, and calming an anxious or aggressive animal.
HALTI is also a popular choice in head collars because it has been designed to combine maximum steering efficiency without sacrificing comfort for the dog. The collar has no metal parts in contact with the dog's skin and the point of steering is situated well down the nose and away from the dog's eyes. A feature of the HALTI head collar not found on other designs of head collars, is that with this collar the owner can use an on-off muzzling action to close the dog's jaws.
There are advantages to training a dog with a head collar as opposed to dog collar training with a traditional or training collar. This is because head collars are easier to use for beginning dog trainers than training collars. Head collars are also useful when it comes to preventing dogs from pulling, or controlling and retraining dogs that have a tendency to pull.
When the head collar is fitted correctly, it mimics the two most common holds dogs used in communicating leadership to other dogs low in rank in the pack. Adult dogs either will grasp the subordinate dog firmly, but gently, just behind the ears, or they will hold it by the muzzle, with the collar serving to constantly remind the younger or subordinate dog that he's not in charge.
When it comes to how a dog responds to the collar and how the owner reacts to the dog's response can give us a valuable insight about the animal's behavior and its relationship with his owner. Dogs naturally operate in and need a stable pack structure to give them a feeling of security. The head collar in dog collar training can help to communicate your leadership to your dog and can help them to accept that they live in a human-centered pack, dogs will naturally assume that position because every pack must have a leader.
The head collar can also be effective at controlling a dog's behavior in difficult situations may like needing to control a dog that wants to be with other dogs. The collars can be effective at controlling other difficult situations. Head collars are great when taking your dog on an outing, or even in an area where there will the dog will be around other dogs and other distractions.
While a head collar can be a great tool for dog collar training, it is not to be used as a replacement for proper dog training. For a head collar to be effective it must be used in combination with sensible dog or puppy training methods, like reward training and other forms of positive reinforcement.
In conclusion, the head collar can be an important and useful tool, bus it is important to use it appropriately, follow all the package instructions, and make sure you combine using the head collar with solid training methods. The goal of dog collar training with a head collar should that the dog behaves as well with a regular collar as it does with the specialized head collar.
How does a dog collar get imbedded in a dog’s neck?
I have seen this on animal planet when they rescue a dog. Is it because these people never check the dog collar? It sounds so cruel to me.
usually it happens because the collar was put on when the dog was a pup and never re sized so as the dog grows the skin grows around the collar….kinda like a tree would if you put a chain around it….another way would be if the dog has longer hair and it has not been groomed same issue the skin grows around the collar…the third way would be if a dog is always tied to a chain and rub the skin raw and causes a sore the sore will heal around the collar…..no matter how you look at it the cause is alway neglectful owners….
What is the best dog collar electric fence to use?
Can anyone tell me what is the best electric dog collar fence I can use to contain my two dogs in a restrictive area.
What make and model, if additional collar can be purchase for my second dog and how is the collar battery charged and how log does the battery last?
Thanks
Please also keep in mind that the invisible fence does not stop strays , humans or wildlife from entering your yard and hurting your dogs. I don’t know what breed of dog you have but the invisible fence does not work for most terrier breeds. Any terrier worthy of his title of terrier will gladly take the shock to get to a squirrel or other critter but they will not take a shock to come back into the yard.
Check all the pros and cons before you invest.
dog collar???????????????????
so i want to but my dog a collar, she hasnt worn one for ages because i never really thought about it but now i think i should get her one. whats the best type to get and whats a good size for her? she is a cavalier king charles spaniel. also im not into fancy collars with diamontes etc i just want one for its function. plz help
Measure her neck and go to a pet store and pick one out. There are lots of ones available at Pet Smart or Pet Co that don’t have diamonds and stuff on them. I have a Maltese and I LOVE the froufrou jeweled kind. I actually have trouble finding them. For most dog collars, the trend is toward more plain nylon or leather styles.
A good collar shouldn’t be more than 10-25$ depending on what you get. Be sure to save your recipts and don’t remove the tags until you know it’s a good fit. Give her a ‘test walk’ with it to make sure.This way you can return the collar if it’s not the right one.
Also be sure to have an ID tag made with your number and address on it. This way if your dog gets lost, you can be contacted. The ID tag costs around 10$ and you can buy them at the pet store too. Best of luck!
What are some good dog collar web stores?
This may be a weird question, but I have a french bulldog named Eclipse and I want a really cute collar for her. Since she is named after the moon/space and I am completely obsessed with outer space. I thought it’d be super cute to have a dog collar with moons or planets, or astronauts, anything space related really except stars. Know of any websites or links that might have non-black collars? (Since she is pretty much all black) Thanks!!
I also am in love with aliens.
Dog collar?
IS THERE A DOG COLLAR THAT WILL PINCH A DOG IF IT GET TO CLOSE TO A FENCE WITHOUT HURTING THE DOG.. UNDER $150.00
you can get teh invisable fence at Wal Mart for about $100. gives you like 100 foot of wire. You might need more. It will give the dog a mild shock depending on how high you turn the intensity. After about a day the dog learns it’s boundaries and you no longer have an issue. Depending on the dog depends on the intensity. They work and work very well.